Shaun Hall flew from Jamaica to Gatwick with 70 bags of cocaine in his body is jailed for five years

A 49-year-old swallowed more than half a kilo of cocaine in an attempt to smuggle them into the UK.

Shaun Hall was handed a five-year prison sentence after he admitted chomping down on 70 bags of the Class A drug earlier this year.

He was intercepted by Border Force officers at Gatwick Airport on May 1 when he arrived on a flight from Jamaica.

A body scan revealed he had swallowed and was concealing more than 584g of cocaine inside his stomach.

The drugs, equivalent to the rough weight of five quarter-pounder burgers, have an estimated street value of around £81,000.

After being stopped by Border Force and the drugs recovered, Hall was later questioned by officers from the National Crime Agency's Border Policing Command and charged with attempting to import a Class A drug.

Border Force regional director Carole Upshall said: “This case shows the lengths smugglers will go to in their attempts to bring Class A drugs into the UK.

“Those who swallow packages like this are risking their lives. If one of the packages had split it could have been fatal.

“Border Force officers play a crucial role in protecting the UK from illegal drugs and other contraband.

“Working with law enforcement colleagues including the NCA we are determined to do all we can to prevent drug trafficking and put those responsible behind bars.”

Hall, of Stockland Street in Grangetown, Cardiff, was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Thursday July 17.

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